Freedom House: "Social media users who are openly critical of the Russian regime have also faced a targeted campaign of physical violence and acts of intimidation"

"The past year saw an unprecedented crackdown on social media users, with the authorities issuing long prison sentences and applying other legal sanctions against users who post or even share material online that contradicts the official Kremlin position on controversial issues. While the coverage period saw the first maximum five-year sentence issued in December 2015 to a social media user under Russia’s broad anti-extremism laws, a new law passed in July 2016 increases the maximum sentence to seven years for “inciting” or “justifying” terrorism online, expanding the powers of authorities to target social media users. Social media users who are openly critical of the Russian regime have also faced a targeted campaign of physical violence and acts of intimidation, often perpetrated by unidentified assailants encountered on the street or near their homes."